Cigarettes



J.' A. SAFFIR May 17, 1960 CIGARETTES Filed Nov. 8; 1957 IN V EN TOR.

This inventionrelates tocigarettes and more particularly to the outer wrapper, which envelopes the tobacco. Among its objects, this invention provides a cigarette wherein the smoker may exercise the choice of smoking the cigarette as ordinarily provided or diluting the smoke with air.

Another object of this invention is to enable the smoker to modify his smoke, make it milder or less concentrated as to tar, nicotine, and other constituents.

Still another object is to enable the smoker to alter the temperature of the smoke he inhales by cooling'it with a controlled quantity of diluting air before the smoke begins entry into his mouth.

This invention contemplates a cigarette similar to any of the usual present day cigarettes with the exception that means have been provided in the wrapper structure for altering it to admit a controlled quantity of air into the cigarette at points between the mouth portion and the lighted end. Air so admitted during the smoking of the cigarette will tend to materially cool the smoke, dilute the smoke, reduce the concentration of the ingredients.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear in the following:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a cigarette embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, with the principles of the invention shown as they would appear when in partial use.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, but with the principles of the invention in full use.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of another embodiment of this invention.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the embodiment shown in Figure 4, with the principles of the invention shown as they would appear when in partial use.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the embodiment shown in Figure 4, but with the principles of the invention in full use.

Figure 7 is a view in vertical section taken on line AA' in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a view in perspective of still another embodiment of this invention.

In the drawings, like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a cigarette as a whole; at 2 is the end to be lighted; at 3 is the end to be placed in the mouth; at 6 is the designation for the tobacco and 14 designates the paper or wrapper which envelopes the tobacco.

Referring now to Figure l, the purpose outlined above is accomplished by cutting an opening 15 in the cigarette wrapper and covering the same with a thin piece of covering paper, 4, which bears a non-hardening adhesive along its edges for adhering to the wrapper. At one end is a short handle 5 by which one may pull otf the covering area when section 9 is slightly lifted and a small open-- I 2 paper 4 in its entirety or by which-one may uncover the opening 15 slightly.

In Figure 2 this cover paper 4 has been partially lifted to create the opening 17 and to expose tobacco, 6. With this slit partially open as shown, the smoker would be diluting his smoke with considerable air. A much smaller opening could be created by not pulling the tab, 5, quite so far. Or the entire cover- 4 can be removed as is illustrated in Figure 3.

In Figure 3, the size of opening 17 is now as large as it can be made-in this illustration and the greatest amount of air possible will enter with each puff. 1

Figure 7 is a cross section of points'A-A' in Figure 2. The opening 17 is covered by paper covering 4, which is held in position by non-setting tacky adhesives present at the edges 12. The adhesive may be any type that will not prevent the tab from being removed by setting too hard. At the same time it must be strong enough to hold the cover 4 firmly in place when removing the tab is undesirable. Besides non-setting adhesives, any adhesive or paste such as light starch pastes may be used since they will generally not form a strong bond and will permit removal at will.

The cigarette in Figure 4 has a filter 7 at the end 3 which filter extends to the line 8, which indicates the junction plane of the filter and tobacco. In this modification the cigarette paper is crimped, perforated, or otherwise weakened all along its edge 19 so that small sections, 9 and 10, can be easily torn off the wrapper, 14. Here, this particular removable section is divided into two portions 9 and 10 to offer a small opening over the tobacco ing over the filter portion of the cigarette when section 10 is slightly lifted as shown in Figure 5 where, at 6, there can be seen a small section of tobacco and at 11, a small section of the filter. It can be seen that the openings at the desired sections can be increased by lifting greater portions of the sections 9 and 10.

When sections 9 and 10 are removed entirely, large openings result as shown in Figure 6. A cigarette with both these sections removed would have an increased ventilation and would make the drawing or putfing much easier. At the same time, it would cool the smoke, dilute it, and make the smoke much milder than if the cigarette had been unaltered.

In Figure 8 the cigarette has a permanent vent 23 in the wrapper, 14, which vent can be covered or uncovered by means of a superimposed paper band 20 which completely encircles the cigarette. As this bandis situated on the cigarette, the exposed part of the vent is 21, the unexposed part is 22. Depending on the positioning of the band, more or less of the vent can be exposed. Thus, the size of the vent can be adjusted before the cigarette is lit or while the cigarette is being enjoyed.

Applicant is aware that the advantages inherent in air intake during cigarette smoking were recognized and that permanent openings in the paper covering cigarettes were tried. These were found unsatisfactory and useless because they were fixed and permanent and no means was provided to make them adjustable.

Increased air intake may not be desirable when the cigarette is first lighted since the full length of the cigarette acts as a filter of sorts for the first smoke. To draw the smoke all the way through the length of a full cigarette, with a permanent opening in the wrapper may mean such dilution of smoke that almost pure air is drawn into the mouth especially since a drawing in frequently pulls from the closest source.

Continued smoking on a cigarette decreases the length available for filtering. The tobacco remaining in the cigarette, having acted as a filter, collects much of the T 3.,6 3. Patented May 17,1960

3 I l r tar and other residuals. smoke becomes. stronger and more concentrated. With a With each continued puff the cigarette embodying this, invention, the smoker can release, 7

an opening for intake of air to dilute and modify his smoke at whatever point in his smoking he finds such 31 modification desirable; 7 1 I In nearly all the figures the vents are shown as oblong: slits, located close to the mouth end of the cigarette but the vents can be round or square or of any usualor unusual shape or size and can besituated anywhere on. the cigarette: surface. Also, while the covering for the vents is referred to as being of thin paper, it is understood that such covering, tab, or band can be made 0i thin plastic, cork, or any material" that will lend itself to this purpose.

1 While I have. described my inventioni'n accordance .with desirable embodiments, it is obvious'that many: changes may he made in the details of construction, and in the eombination of parts and materials, without departing from the spirit or the invention as. defined in the following claim:

a V 74 '4 .5 s I'claimzp 1 A wrapper for a cigarette having a colinear tobacco filler and. filter portion meeting in .a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, said wrapper having perforations therethrough arranged to provide a line of weakness providing a pair of colinear rectangular portions having a common side adjacent to the meeting plane and lying therein whereby a portion of the wrapper may be removed to permit air to enter the smoke stream in either the tobacco filler," the filter or both portions of the cigarette. V 1

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 2,693,193 Pelletier .m.. Nov. 2, 1954 2,841,153 Pelletier July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 72,589 Sweden June 25, 1930 499,817 Belgium Mar. 31,1951 706,624 Great Britain Mar. 31-, I954 

